The First Man Down
by The Tacochickenwings
Summary: Oneshot, Malon's POV. An ominous storm rages in the skies of Hyrule marking the sudden return of the infamous Ganondorf. His first killing in honor of his escape from the Sacred Realm occurs at the unsuspecting LonLon Ranch...


_**Please review! I hope you like this. I finally finished it, lol. Betcha weren't expectin' it, eh? Whatever. Just review. Please. Thank you. Have a nice day. Bye.**_

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_**The First Man Down**_

"Look at that, Dad..." I remember saying, pointing up at the sky. I still remember it: blood red, chilling, ominous...

My father, Talon, had looked to it and replied, "Hmm... 'At's suspicious, m' dear, but if it ain't hurtin' no one it ain't to be fretted o'er."

That's my father for you. Well, _was_, I must correct; pardon. Always thinking things along the lines of 'If it doesen't hurt me, and it doesen't hurt you, and doesen't hurt the farm or anything else associated with us, then there isn't a problem'.

Oh, I'm sorry. I really should introduce myself. I am Malon, and I used to live on Lon Lon Ranch with my father Talon, who is, I am sad to say, now deceased. He was slaughtered when I was 16. I'm going to tell you how it all happened, forcing myself to relive these painful, sick memories that haunt me so.

"Well, the worst I could see 'appenin' is a mighty storm. Best we finish our chores, Malon, dearest," father added, setting off to do a task which I figured his laziness might impair him from completing.

I wanted to believe his theory about the unusual weather; I tried to, but just couldn't. I looked at the strange sky for a moment longer before heading to the barn to milk the cows.

Milking the last cow, I heard a boom. Thunder, perhaps? I figured it was. Oh, goddesses, how I hoped it was. But why was I starting to panic? Was it normal for me to feel this way over a discolored sky and a noise? It seemed irrational at the time; I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

Now done with milking duty, I exited the barn. The moment I left the building, a cruel, almost painful wind buffeted me in the face and sent chills triggered by both the cold and angst down my spine. The wind howled, and was even beginning to send large objects flying. I gasped, remembering that the horses and cuckoos still needed to be put in the barn. Deciding that the cuckoos were in the most danger, I started a search for them. With a pang of sadness, I saw that they were nowhere to be found. Most likely lost to the monsterous wind. Luckily, the horses remained stationary. I struggled against the wind towards them, and one by one, with great difficulty, I managed to get them refuge in the barn. After that was over, I called for my father over all the noise.

"DAD! DAD, LET'S GET INSIDE! IT'S GONNA BE A BIG ONE!"

I just barely heard him shout something in reply along the lines of, "Hold on a minute! I'll only be a sec, darlin'!"

Rolling my eyes and letting out a frustrated groan, I pried the door of the house open. It was a lot of work, for the wind seemed to prefer it shut. I managed to get inside somehow, though; the door flew shut behind me.

I sat down at the kitchen table to sort through some of my feelings and ease my anxiety. Worries about my father being out in that storm added to the mixture of fear and worst-case-scenario. I was starting to feel pretty guilty about not doing something about the case at hand. I felt selfish as I sat at the table, letting goddesses-know-what happen to my only parent. I decided to go fetch my father myself. Dammit, he was going to come inside even if I had to drag that old fool in!

Suddenly, as I stood up, I heard a noise that sounded something like thunder to extent. But I knew it was so much more... The sound of my father's scream, crackling electricity, and the bone rattling noise of metal plunging into flesh with great force followed, most unwelcome sounds. My blood ran ice cold; I fled from the house...

And let out a scream.

"DAD! DAD, NO!"

I couldn't believe it. There, laying on the grass, completely slaughtered, was my father. And that was only half the shock. Above him, a dark smirk smeared all over his face, was a man we had all thought to be gone for the rest of our lives. If that were true, then Ganondorf would not be standing before my father's dead body this very moment. This couldn't be happening...

Ganondorf's amber eyes switched on me.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the pretty little ranch girl... So sorry about your father." The smirk widened. "It was a shame he was such a fool. Maybe if he wasn't, I wouldn't have had to kill him. Or...perhaps I would anyway." His sharp, cold laughter rang through the electric air.

"YOU...YOU SICK BASTARD!" I shrieked.

Ganondorf approached me.

"Oh, come now, beauty, don't be that way..."

I turned and fled. Fled from the ranch, from Ganondorf, from my old life.

Ganondorf called after me, "Go ahead! Go ahead and run! Tell Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule that I'm back, and that there is nothing anyone can do to stop me! GO AHEAD!"

Everything was a blur to me. It just didn't register in my brain, not at all.

_This isn't true! _I thought, shaking my head as my legs carried me to the castle at a pace that would make even Epona proud. _This can't be happening... My father's not dead! He's not! This is a dream, and soon I'll wake up and have to gather Cuckoo eggs!_

Deep down, I knew I couldn't lie to myself, and I couldn't hide or change the truth. But I hadn't wanted to think of that then. I continued at the speed of light towards the castle, and collasped into the arms of the first guard who tried to stop me. I was hysterical.

"HELP, HELP, IT'S NOT TRUE..." I wailed.

That guard must've thought I was completely mad.

"Miss, what is the problem?" he demanded.

"GANONDORF...FATHER...THEY..."

All the man needed to hear was that one word: _Ganondorf_. He ordered the other guards to immediately alert the king.

Before I knew it, I was sitting in a large, red velvet armchair in the castle's library. I wrapped myself even tighter in the thick blanket that I had been lent, but it did not ease my shaking.

I felt completely emotionless, robbed of all thought. My mind and body felt numb; my heart pounded slowly yet harder than I ever thought it could.

I could hear voices from just outside the library.

The familiar voice of the guard I had run into was saying, "Yes, Your Majesty. That ranch girl has come through some ordeal relating to Ganondorf. I fear his return..." The voice was grim.

A voice, so deep, confident, and melodic that it was only suited the king himself, answered, "I see... I will talk to her then." So very solemn sounding, his voice...

A pretty, feminine voice said, "Father, please, allow me to see the girl with you. I have been plagued by dreams of such things she may have seen, and I want to confirm. Please...I need to know..."

The king told her sternly, "No, Zelda. This is currently for my ears, and my ears only."

"But--"

"That is enough. We can talk about this later, my child."

"Father!"

"ENOUGH, ZELDA!" The yell could have echoed throughout the whole of Hyrule. An eerie silence ensued until the king added softly, "Time is of essence. Now I must go. Sir, please escort my daughter to her quarters."

I could hear the footsteps of the guard and Princess Zelda starting up and getting quieter as they left. Following that was the sound of the large, oaken library door being pushed open and then shut. The heavy, confident sound of the king's approach came and stopped until the man took a seat across from me.

More silence, until finally, the King of Hyrule said quietly, "Miss..."

I did not reply. I just stared blankly at him, not really focusing on him. I was far too lost in myself to do such a thing.

"Miss, may I ask of you to fill me in on what has occured?" he inquired gently.

In a cracking voice, I somehow managed to tell him what had happened in perfect detail. A look of troubled emotion darkened the king's face, becoming more and more defined as my story went on.

When I finished, he muttered, "I see... This is a cause for alarm. I must alert the people of Hyrule immediately. We will send some warriors to venture to your ranch. Perhaps your father is still alive."

I hoped he was, but I knew he wasn't. This was confirmed later. The King of Hyrule got up and left quickly without another word; he was in quite the hurry.

I sat there, thoughtless, for what seemed like eternity. Finally, someone else entered the room. I heard them slowly, cautiously approach... Before I knew it, I was facing the princess of Hyrule. She took her father's seat.

"I heard..." she told me softly, tears glinting in her eyes. Her voice became choked as mine had as she said, "And I am so, so sorry..."

I burst into tears. A second later, I was in the arms of Princess Zelda as she attempted to comfort me through her own sorrows and fears. She was known to be a wonderful young woman, and I knew then that that was no lie.

Weeks passed, and the outlook of things grew worse at a frightening pace. Everyone, myself included, prayed to the gods as more and more suffered and died due to Ganondorf's horrible return to power.

We did not give up hope, however. We, the people of Hyrule, were almost certain that the Hero of Time would defeat Ganondorf, redeem those lost, and save us all. Hope passed as time did, sadly.

Everything was getting too much too bear. People were dying every day, and every time I heard a report of such things, it would remind me of my father's death, and I would have to relive that awful day. My life was in shreds.

Finally, though you most likely already know of this, the decision was made by the gods to drown Hyrule, and send a lucky few to the mountaintops to start a new life as ocean dwellers. I was one of them, but was I truly lucky? I didn't think so at the time. It only made me feel worse.

But that's all in the past now. I have started the new life I was promised. I will always miss my father, those lost, and Hyrule. I will bear the scars for eternity. But this day, I cradle my own children and turn my face towards the sun...


End file.
